I'll Be There For You
by Rebecca Cage
Summary: When an accident rocks the 4077th, the unit bonds together to ensure the survival of one of their own. But in the aftermath, will the wounded be the only casualty?
1. Terrible Accident

I'll Be There for You

The morning that had dawned in Korea was one of the kind that fell under the category that looks could be deceitful. At first glance, it looked rather peaceful with the sun shining bright overhead but when one is near the front lines of a war, things are never as they appear at first glance.

After retrieving his breakfast, Colonel Henry Blake walked stiffly to the table he usually occupied and dropped heavily onto the bench with a sigh. He could have done without the news that he just heard before he had left his office for the mess tent and he wasn't looking forward to sharing the information with the others whom he was about to join.

"Is something wrong, Colonel?" Father Francis Mulcahy asked, concerned at the stressed expression on the commanding officer's face when he sat down.

"Yeah, what's the scoop, Henry? You look like someone just told you the world's about to end." Hawkeye Pierce added, a feeling of dread niggling at the base of his gut.

"Oh, boy. Radar got a call on the radio this morning and a battalion of GI's got into a skirmish with a North Korean unit earlier this morning and it was pretty bad. We're expecting casualties within the next two hours and it's gonna be a big one. What a time for McIntyre to be on R&R in Seoul. He's due back today and I just hope he gets here in time to give us a hand with these wounded we've got coming. It'll be hard with three surgeons." Henry explained with a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took a drink of his coffee.

"It'll be tough, you're right. But we've dealt with a lot worse, if you remember the whole flu epidemic incident. We'll be able to hold it together until Trapper gets back."

"I sure hope so."

* * * * *

Meanwhile, on a winding dirt road in the Korean countryside, Trapper John McIntyre was on his trip back from R&R. He wasn't looking forward to getting back into the heart of the bloodbath, but he readily admitted to himself that he had definitely needed the break. As the jeep emerged from the dust cloud he had created navigating a turn in the road, Trapper dropped his speed momentarily to look at the quiet country around him.

"Now if the whole war could look as beautiful as this, then it might make this whole nightmare slightly more bearable." Trapper thought to himself. Unfortunately, his reverie took his attention away from the tree line where danger waited.

Before Trapper had time to react, the sound of a gunshot came from the left of the jeep at the same time that the bullet from the same gun ripped through the flesh of his left side. Swerving wildly from the shock, Trapper wasn't able to regain control of the jeep before it hit a tree and flipped, tossing the surgeon into a nearby ditch.

A few minutes later, an American patrol came down the same path, looking for anyone who might need assistance having heard the sniper fire and the sound of the crash. When they noticed the overturned jeep, they slowed and began to thoroughly search the area. Coming around the front end of the wrecked vehicle, a young captain noticed Trapper lying unconscious in the ditch and rushed to him.

"Medic! We've got a man down over here!"

"Holy crap. This man's got some pretty severe bleeding here. Looks like he took a bullet in the side. Bring me that radio over here now!" The medic screamed as he pulled supplies from his bag and began to treat Trapper's injuries as best he could.

"Right."

"Captain, where's the closest M*A*S*H to us. We need to get a chopper up here."

"4077th is two miles from here so they'd be the closest."

"Thanks." The medic acknowledged as he took the bag that contained the mobile radio unit and adjusted the frequency accordingly. "4077th M*A*S*H, calling 4077th M*A*S*H. Please respond."

* * * * *

On his way back from pre op where he had checked on the number of remaining wounded awaiting surgery, Corporal Radar O'Reilly heard the frantic hail on the radio. Halting in mid step, he flung himself into his chair and placed the headphones over his ears as he grabbed the radio.

"M*A*S*H 4077th, Radar here. What've you got, Tony?" Radar asked breathlessly, having recognized the voice on the other end of the frequency.

"We need one of your choppers up here on the double, Radar. We were on patrol when we heard sniper fire. We scoped the area and found an overturned jeep and one of our captains found a wounded man about 30 feet from it. He's unconscious and has a wound to the left side. Chest is okay but I'm worried about where the bullet hit him, it could have collapsed a lung but I can't tell. This guy's in serious trouble."

"Right. Thanks, Tony. I'll get a chopper en route to you immediately. Hang in there, guy." Radar said as he turned off the radio and rushed out of the office to find the chopper pilot he had just seen entering the mess tent.

* * * * *

After getting the chopper on the way to retrieve the latest casualty coming to them, Radar quickly returned to the O.R. to report the latest casualty count. As he entered the room, it didn't take ESP to know that tensions were running high.

"Where the hell have you been, Radar? I sent you for that casualty count ten minutes ago." Henry snapped without looking up from his current patient.

"Sir, I was on my way from pre op when I got a call on the radio from the 428th division. They were on patrol and heard sniper fire. When they were investigating they found an overturned jeep and a man that was hit by the sniper. Their medic says that the guy's lost a lot of blood and in rough shape. I sent a chopper up there to get him and it should be back in about ten minutes. That'll be the last wounded hopefully." Radar apologized quickly.

"Does it never stop? Okay, I'll take the incoming."

"Um, sir, the medic says that he thinks the guy's lung might be collapsed. This may take more than one surgeon."

"Right. Get over to post op and tell Pierce what we've got coming. Tell him to be ready and I'll assist him."

"Yes, sir."

* * * * *

In post op, Hawkeye was finishing with giving the orders to the nurse on the most recent patient when Radar burst through the doors and hurried up to him. It was clear from the look on the young clerk's face that he had some bad news and Hawkeye sighed in spite of himself.

"Hawkeye, we've got another wounded man coming in by chopping in about ten minutes. Colonel Blake wants you to scrub back in and he's going to assist you. The guy could possibly have damage to the lung but the field medic couldn't be sure."

"Right. I'll grab an ambulance driver and head on up to the chopper pad."

"Ambulance is already in the compound, Hawkeye." Radar confirmed, noticing a small smirk cross Hawkeye's face as he hurried from the room.

* * * * *

When the ambulance crested the top of the hill where the chopper pad rested, the sound of rotor blades could be heard approaching in the distance. Hawkeye leapt off the side of the ambulance door where he had been holding on for the ride up and crouched at the edge of the pad as the chopper settled on the ground, forcing him to shield his eyes against the cloud of dust that was tossed into the air.

As soon as the blades stopped, Hawkeye rushed to the helicopter but something stopped him in his tracks and caused his blood to run cold. The chopper pilot was leaning on the control stick, pale and shaking. This startled Hawkeye because the situation had to be pretty severe to make this man look as though he had just seen a ghost.

"Did we lose the casualty?" Hawkeye asked.

"No, we haven't lost the casualty."

"Then what's got you so shaken? What's going on, Marty?"

"Hawkeye, you need to prepare yourself for this one. This man's one of ours."

"What the hell?" Hawkeye said as he ran around the side of the chopper to where the occupied stretcher waited and as he helped the corpsman lift back the cover, he felt like the wind had been kicked out of him and he struggled to catch his breath. "Oh my God."

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I landed, Hawk. I could see who was wounded as I approached and it took everything I had to keep from crashing the chopper."

"Damn. This is really bad. I'm gonna need to get a chest tube in him as soon as we get to O.R. if I'm gonna be able to save the lung. Tell pre op to start cross matching blood now! I want three units in O.R. when I get there." Hawkeye shouted as he climbed into the back of the ambulance next to his fallen friend, his heart feeling like it might surely pound out of his chest. Just then, he heard a soft moan and he corralled his scattered thoughts as he saw Trapper open his eyes and look up at him.

"Hawk?" Trapper said quietly, finding it very hard to speak or even catch his breath.

"Yeah, I'm right here, Trap. Seems like you wandered through the scope of a sniper's rifle on your way back from Seoul. You were lucky that an American patrol heard the commotion and found you near the wrecked jeep. I'm not gonna lie to you, pal. You're pretty beat up but I'm gonna fix you up good as new. You'll be just fine. I give you my word on it."

"In the best of hands."

"You bet your life." Hawkeye vowed, gripping Trapper's hand momentarily.

* * * * *

As the ambulance roared into the compound and the doors were flung open, Henry rushed out of the pre op doors to assist and, upon seeing his friend lying on the stretcher, ran over to it trying to ascertain just exactly what the hell was happening.

"Jumping butterballs! Pierce! What the hell's going on here?" Henry barked in shock.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Henry. I didn't know it was Trapper who was wounded until the chopper hit the pad. He's in rough shape. We need to get him prepped quick. If I don't get a tube in there, he'll have a collapsed lung and that'll create problems that we don't need." Hawkeye filled his commanding officer in as they rushed Trapper though the pre op doors.

Once Hawkeye had scrubbed in, he and Henry had Trapper on an operating table and were ready to prepare their friend for surgery. The two had to keep their wits about them because they knew that if they let themselves think about the fact that this was their friend on the table, the distraction could lead to mistakes that could cost Trapper his life.

"Okay, we're ready."

Lying on the operating table, seeing the O.R. from an angle that he never could have imagined, Trapper felt Hawkeye squeeze his hand quickly as he struggled to force air into his lungs. The next moment, his friend gave the signal and the black rubber mask was lowered over his nose and mouth, the pain he was feeling dissipating as his consciousness slipped away.


	2. Fighting For Life

Chapter 2: Fighting For Life

In the O.R., Hawkeye and Henry were working intently to repair the damage done when Trapper had been hit by the sniper's bullet. No matter how hard he tried, Hawkeye couldn't completely still the tremor in his hands and couldn't hide the fire of rage that was burning within him at the fact that his best friend had been seriously wounded on his way back from a relaxing weekend.

"How's it look, Pierce?" Henry asked, sensing what was running through his chief surgeon's mind and trying to stop him from brooding.

"He's gonna have a hard road back. I did manage to save his lung so he won't have that to worry about. I'm worried about the other damage and the fact that he lost so much blood. Trapper's strong and he's got that working for him but I think it's gonna be touch and go for a while." Hawkeye admitted, his hand tightening around the surgical instrument in his hand as he glanced at his friend lying unconscious on the operating table before him and wishing that he could be certain of what the next few hours would bring.

"Yeah, not to mention the fact that he's got stubbornness on his side as well. He's as hard headed as you are and if the roles were reversed, you would never be one to give up."

"You've got that right. I'll be damned if I'd ever let this stupid war take me out. I know that Trapper's the same way. Let's just hope that it's enough. It has to be enough. My best friend is _not_ going to check out because of some damn North Korean sniper. I've already lost one friend that way and I refuse to lose another."

"That's the way to think, Hawkeye. Keep that positive attitude. McIntyre's gonna need that to keep him going."

"Right, Henry. I'm ready to start closing now."

* * * * *

Thirty minutes later, Hawkeye had finished operating and Trapper had been moved into a bed in post op. Once his friend was settled, Hawkeye went into professional mode and began giving orders to the duty nurse.

"I want to start him on an antibiotic through the I.V. every twelve hours and I want you to monitor his vitals every hour for the next eight hours and then check every two hours."

"Yes, doctor."

Just then, the doors to post op opened and Mulcahy walked in, a shocked look in his eyes. He had just heard the news of what had happened and he hadn't wanted to believe it but seeing Trapper lying on the cot with his own eyes, the gravity of the situation couldn't be denied.

"I just heard, Hawkeye. What happened? How's he doing?"

"He's holding his own, Father. I wish I knew how this happened. All I know is that apparently when Trapper was on his way back from Seoul, he was shot by a sniper on the road. The bullet punctured his lung but I was able to repair the damage. It's a good thing that patrol happened to be in the area because if they hadn't been…."

"Don't think like that, Hawkeye. Trapper's still alive, thanks to you. I've known both of you long enough to know that neither of you are going to give up." Mulcahy said, smiling sadly for a moment.

"You're starting to sound like Henry." Hawkeye remarked grimly, taking up residence in the chair next to the cot where Trapper slept.

"Well, I have always wanted a promotion. Seriously, though, Hawkeye if you need someone to talk to, remember that my door is always open."

"Thanks, Father. I'll keep that in mind. I want to know what happened out there more than anyone, but Trapper's the only one who knows. I'm hoping when he comes to, he'll tell us."

* * * * *

Absorbed deep in his haunting thoughts as he maintained a constant vigil over his unconscious friend, Hawkeye lost all track of time. He didn't realize that he had been sitting there for over three hours until he heard someone speaking to him.

"How's he doing?" Major Margaret Houlihan asked quietly as she came over to stand at the foot of the cot.

"Well, he's holding his own for now. I hate even having to think like this about my best friend but I've done all I can do for him for now. What happens from here on is up to him." Hawkeye sighed, rubbing a hand over his face wearily.

"Listen, you've been through hell today and it's obvious that its taking a toll on you. I talked to Henry and told him that I wanted to cover your shift tonight and he agreed with me. You need to try to get some rest."

"I can't get it out of my head."

"What?"

"The feeling I had this afternoon when I got Trapper in the ambulance on the chopper pad. When he came to and looked at me, for a minute I didn't see Trapper. I had a flashback and saw the day my friend Tommy died on the table. When he was brought in, he had the same look in his eyes. Damn it, Margaret! Why can't I get that image out of my head?"

"Oh, Hawkeye. I completely forgot about that day. For what little help it is, next time you get those flashes, remind yourself that this is a different situation and Trapper is alive. He may have a tough road to recovery, but he is gonna get there and you're the reason for that. If you let the two incidents run together in your mind, you're going to drive yourself crazy." Margaret whispered, placing a hand on Hawkeye's arm.

"I know. I keep trying to separate them but it's really hard when I've had two of my best friends on my operating table in a year and one of them didn't make it and the other is fighting for his life. I just wish that I could forget that this happened today." Hawkeye said.

"I understand. Look, try not to worry. Trapper's in the best of hands. You really do need to try and get some rest. Not only is Trapper depending on you, but we need you. I'll be here if you need anything."

"Thanks, Margaret. I need to get some air so I'm going to take a walk for a few minutes and then I thought about going over to the mess tent and trying to eat a little something. If anything changes before I get back, please let me know."

"You know I will." Margaret replied, watching worriedly as Hawkeye turned and walked out of the ward, looking like he had the weight of the entire world bearing down on him.


End file.
